ICGLR Regional Committee on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity and all forms of Discrimination

The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) has been concerned with genocide prevention since its inception and has taken the lead in this area through the protocol signed on 29th November 2006 by Heads of States in the Great Lakes Region Member States, for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity and all forms of Discrimination.

The ICGLR Regional Committee on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity and all forms of Discrimination was established in Kampala, Uganda in September 2010, and formalized at the November 25-26, 2010 in Kinshasa, DRC, with the participation of all countries in the region .

Meanwhile, a South-South conversation on genocide prevention was launched by Argentina, Switzerland and Tanzania, involving many countries in Latin America, Africa and Europe (1st Regional Forum on Genocide Prevention in Buenos Aires in December 2008; 2nd in Arusha in March 2010, 3rd in Bern, March 1-4, 2011).

At the end of the 2nd Regional Forum in Arusha, Tanzania, ICGLR Secretary General Amb. Liberata Mulamula offered a crucial invitation to the international community to partner with the conference “to transform the region from conflict ridden into a space for peace and prosperity.” (GENOCIDE_PREVENTION_Mulamulapaper_2.pdf).

Recommendations were presented to (a) support regional efforts to prevent genocide; (b) establish and strengthen early warning systems; (c) strengthen judicial cooperation with a view to prevent, detect and punish perpetrators; and (d) designate focal points for genocide prevention at the local, national and regional levels.

Immediately after, the ICGLR held the Regional Interministerial Committee in May 2010, exploring ways to make genocide prevention operational in the context of the Great Lakes Region. Among the recommendations was to develop a strategy and a plan of action for Member States to prevent and punish crime of genocide, war crime, and crime against humanity and fight against impunity and promote reconciliation. (Protocol_on_Crime_Prevention_and_Punishment_of_the_Crime_of_Geno.pdf)

The scholarship on genocide prevention – especially in the area of risk assessment and data gathering – has grown significantly in the recent years. This is why one of the first decisions of the Regional Committee was to formalize its collaboration with The School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University (MOU_mutually_Signed_ICGLR-GMU_110405.pdf) and to launch preparations for a Manual on the Prevention of Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity and all forms of Discrimination.